New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-07-13
IN IMPORTANT DIFFERENCE.

"
The snpcrsrrviceatlc frieb4ls Of Mr. Cleve-
land seem to think that tho battle flag order
and il. retractim with the Presidents snbse-
quent explanation and petulaut expiaratrons
of the explanation are too shalsy to stand
without a coed deal Of snoring up. They
continue therefore, day after day. to attach
some imaginary person, who Il usually sig-
matized as "a Republican PARTISAN for
90 rexlndling fires Of sectional hate re
fusing to meet the South half way and all
that Now DO one has expressed any AM
mostly to the South, no one has refused prof.
fered hand. The only person who has done
ANYTHING in the matter is the man who Issued
an Illegal order, gave bad reason for 1t. and
then backed ont and gave - worse excuse Tor
that. There is no Indignation against the
Sosiheru soldiers who never asked for their
asgs. but there IL urst Cause IT complaint
against the man whose blundering. to give 10
4 mild name, prccipitated a discussion which
would have made it most awkward for any sol
diers less gallant than the men In blue and the
men in gray to meet "a they did at gettysburg
the other day. The mcIf who fol owed Flick
EFT and Arnistead never asked for their battle
aao,s. and the men who held the works against
their shock had their own views rs to whose
province il 10 to hand bark these captured
banners. The attempt of the President to
excuse his bh,nder and even make capital out
of the fraterra greetings on that field was
characteristic But fortunately the warmth
If these greetings was too sincere to be
chilled by stupid order and a disgrccfu
letter by functionary who preferred to be IN
10 G,,hf
The Mugwuunp press is especially vcciferuus
in irving to Justify Mr.. Cleveland becanse
some soldiers have seen fit to return The cap
tured flags, and as clincher il is always added
that If "I.ipcon or Grant had given the order
there would have been no howl Now there
Is moro truth in this last statement than usual
Iv exudes from this source. Lincoln and
Grant we know. They arc popularly sup
posed 10 have aided in some degree In win
ming these trophies They were the foremost
figures on the Union side in the war for tho
Union. and the surrender Of the flags to the
men who MARCHED under them would have
been an act of magnaninity and kindly feel
ing from victor TO vanauishcd. But what il
JEFF Davis had been made President. Or If
that superstition Is too violent, what If Mr.
Lamar were President2 Would the surrender
of these Trophies to his old comrades in arms
have had the same signifcarce2 And how
does the case of Mr.. Cleveland differ from this
He never struck blow nor uttered a word OF
encour agement for the men who fought under
Lincoln or Grant-neyer had single throb
of sympathy for the cause. II ever, by a
breath or the movement Of finger. he had
identified himself with the men who carried
the captured flags to the capitol. there might
have been something to commend in the spirit
Of the order, DESPITE its lawessness. When
the victors return their trophies to the van
quished everybody recognizes the nobility OF
the act But when an outsider steps in to rob
the victors of that privilege by usurping a
power that he does not even possess by law.
a vigorous protest is IN order, and Only the
perverted Mugwum, uind can discover in